Art of cleansing cotton and preparing it for market or for carding.



J. F. REARDON. TON AND PREPARING IT FOR MARKET OR. I APBLIOATION TILED min 29, 1911.

OR GARDING.

A11? 6F CLEANSING GOT 1,1 1 1,761.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES J.-F. REARDON. I TON AND PREPARING IT FOR MARKET 0R F APPLIOATION FILED MAY 29, 1911,

OR GARDING.

ART 1 CLEANSING cow Patented Sept. 29, 1914b Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES 45 my Improvements applied to means for UNITED STATES PATENT mm;

1,111,761, Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 29 1914,

Application filed May 29, 1911. Serial No. 630,140.

p To all whom it may concern; construction, and from which the cotton is Be it known that I,- JoHN F. RnARDoN, adapted to pass into a tubulargoose-neck a citizen of the United States, residing at 2, and through a trunk 3 to a condenser 4 IMillville, in the county of'Gumberland and which condenser is of any ordinary and 0 5 State of New Jersey, have invented certain. Well-known construction, although the Improvements in the Art of Cleansing'Cotgoo-se-ncck'Q and trunk 3, embody features ton. and reparing It for the Market or for of my invention next to be described. Caroling, of which the following is a speci- It will be understood that the cotton is fication. r drawn through the goose-neck 2 and trunk 5 10 The ob ects of-this inventionare to re- 3 by suction appliedthroughrthe condenser move the seed, dirt, leaf, and other foreign +2 in any ordinary and well-known manner. matter from the cotton without breaking 1 Upon entering the goose-neck 2, the cotton or damaging the fiber; to effect such r'eis subjected to a jet of 1r under pressure, moval Without resorting to mechanical beatw ich is preferably directed transversely 70 5 mg of the cotton; to'utilize for this purof the tubular passage by means of a nozzle 7 pose jets of air under pressure, either alone 5. A little farther on is a second nozzle or in connection with special impact sur- 6 which I have shown opening into the faces to receivethe cotton; to subject the tubular passage of the goose-neck at the cotton to theaction of such jets of air while opposite 'side from the first nozzle 5. In 75 it is in motion, either directly from said some such manner, therefore, the cotton is currents or by the use of additional means; subjected to one or more jets of air under and that they may act successively upon 3 results as may be brought out in the foland the pressure of said jets may be varied 5 o ures, Figure 1 IS a diagrammatic side elevation, partly in section, ofone form of apparatus adapted for carrying out my improvements; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the trunk taken on line AA of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same, taken on line B-l3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is .a vertical transverse section of the apron-cleanser which is shown in section in Fig. 1, said Fig. 4 being taken on line CC of Fig. 1; 40 Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line DD of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a detail 1ongitudinal section of; one of the nozzles for; supplying jets of compressed air.

For purposes of illustration I have shown to loosen and diffuse the same and to remove from it seed, dirt, pieces of leaf and other mg the fiber of the cotton. This is the main feature of my invention, to clean the cotton -Without injuring or'breaking its fiber. The cotton passes on through the goose-neck 2, the dirt which is removed escaping at the bottom t'hrougha' grate 7 of ordinary and well-known construction, and so comes to the trunk 3. Said trunk 3 is shown as rectangular in cro-ss-sectlon for its main portion, providing a passage for the cotton and being somewhat wider than high. At intervals in said trunk are downward exte-isions or depressed receptacles 8 for dirt and foreign matter, across the top of which are grids forming portions of the floor of the cotton passage and through which the dirt may fall. The bars of said grids 9 are preferably' inclined to the length of the trunk or direction of movement of the cotton, and

have shown such inclination as 77% deopening and loosening the matted cotton as taken from the bale, although I desire it to be clearly understood that I do not limit myself to the treatmert of cotton at this 50 stage alone, but can apply my improvements to cleansing cotton in preparation for baling, so as to replace the cotton gin now in use, and 'to the treatment of cotton at various other stages.

5 In said drawings, 1 indicates a baleopener of any ordinary and well-known foreign matter, without breaking or injur- 90 structed from with a base a cottonpasses onto a second set of one of the of the tr ward which ject/s forwardly slightl of the grids which incline m but I preferably arrange them about' '.an

as shown in the drawings.

sections 9 may be employed as desired, and may be of any length or any distance apart. The air jets may also be variously locate with respect to said; grids or. grid sections, as I- havealready indicated, so long as they carry out my invention.

From the trunk 3 the .the condenser 4 which is of and well-known construction, only diagrammatically shown ings. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the suction which draws the cotton through the trunk' 3 is applied through the condenser, and in the condenser such motion of the cotton is terminated. Fromthe said condenser 4 the cotton by gravity onto the conveyer or apron 4 of the apron-cleanser 15. The passage of the cotton through the trunk 8 has been extremely rapid, and the apron-cleanser is employed as a means for" subjecting the cotton to the action of jets of alr under pressure while said cotton-is moving more slowly. The conveyer or apron 14 is made up of above the level of the next adjacent ones, as for example, every sixteenth bar may be raised a quarter of an inch. I do not confine myself to these figures, as more or less'bars .may. beraised, to greater or less height. The pur ose is to present a slight obstruction to t e cotton in passing, so as to aid in removing the dirt nd other foreign matter.] The inclination of the bars not only presents more space through which the dirt can fall, but also renders the cotton less likely to catch there-. on and become obstructed. H '1 In advance of each grid, or just before the: cotton reaches it, the walls of the trunkare provided with nozzles through which ets of air under pressure are introduced to engage the cotton. These jets are similar to the jets already described as introduced into the goose-neck, and may be of any number, or pressure, introduced in any direction, so as to act successively or collectively, or may be. otherwise varied. For greater de niteness, however, I have shown the particular,

any common arrangement next to be described, although transverse slats or strips 16 spaced upon I do not limit myself thereto. A 'U-shap flexible bands, so that, dirt and other foreign matter removed from the" cotton can fa etween the, slats while the cotton is retained. The said endle'ss belt or apron 14 carries the cotton slowly forward away from the condenser, and during such movement the cotton is subjected to from nozzles17, leading through the walls of a casing 18 which incloses thecotton above "the belt or apron-14. I' have shown these nozzles as direo inward through the upri ht walls of "the casing at thesi es of the lt or apron and transversely of the same, but do not restrict .myself that precise disposition of them The cotton is thus loosened or 'difiused, and cleaned, in the apron-cleanser, while 'it is moving "slowly, and then goes'ofi over the end 0 the conveyor belt to be led away for any subsequent operations which are desired, as onward passage. These pins by means of the tube 19. Such subsequent 13 maybe of any s table size 'a'ndlength, '1 operations may be stillfurther cleansing by and arranged at any desired distanceapart, git improved process, or may he'lapping, or erw1se-' V 'For. supplying air under pressure to provide the ets '(lesc1"1bed,.Idmve shown in the drawin H amain pipe 20 which extends along a ve the trunk 3'andhas' at proper intervals branches 21 leadingdownward to lateral bendv is formed in the trunk, as at 10, and a nozzle 11 directs a jet of air longi tudinally of the first arm of s'ai bend, while a second nozzle 12 just beyond the curve of thebend introduces a jet of air longitudinally of thesecond arm of said bend. The cotton as it passes around said bend is thus thoroughly and efiectivelyengaged by the said'jets ofjair under pressure, and at the same time its 6. progress is, not peded. or retarded. The said nozzles 11 and 12 arejshown leading through the upright sides ofthe' trunk,'.or its bend 10,- and -directly opposite each of them the sidewall of the trunk or its bend is providediwith a group of projections .or'protuberances 13' the direction of movement of the cotton, so that it may impinge thereon without danger of catching or being inch and a quarter apart at an angle .of forty-five degrees and make theni about an inch and a quarter long of conical sha half inch in 'diameter. e the bend 10, andthen passes over. 'ds 9. The successive bends 10 alternate-in direction of. pro,-

itileaves extend to the' nozzles 1-6 of the neck '2, and still other supply the jection, one being to one side'of the trunk nozzles 17 of 'the-apron cl,eanser S-a1 nozand the next to the other side, preferably,

and the bars ofthe' irid next succeedin any bend incline from t e side of the truxf! to air-pipe terminating- 1n aT com'iection 24,

said last preceding'bend pro one arm of the of; ivhich screws toward the opposite side, into the wall through which the nozzle is to i be directed and the otherarm of said crosspiece receives a closing cap .zles may be of any e d tion, b ut I have Obviously any number, of grids or grid Q and therefore I in the drawcotton passes into drops .jets of air under pressure the nozzles lland Other branches 22 f 5 oudths of an i the like by taking ofi' the cap 50 conducting proper is simply a small plug 26 which screws inside the outlet arm of said T-connection, and, has through itself. a small bore or hole, preferably about five-thirty-secinch in diameter. Said plug can thus be readily removed for cleaning or It Wlll be noted that I have shown cotton being difiused and cleaned by jets of coms milar broad sense, and I intend and desue to cover thecleansmg of any material having similar quallties or characteristics and to which my improved process could be similarly adapted.

Ha-vlng thus described the invention, what I claim is 2. The herein described method of treatlug cotton and the like, which consists in conducting the cotton through a chamber or casing whose sides confine it against escape,

and dispersing said cotton in said chamber 7 45 or casing by discharging a jet of compressed alr against 1t in a direction other'than that m which the cotton is being conducted.

3. The herein described method of treating cotton and the like,

along a given course cotton which is free to dlsp erse, and dispersing said cotton by discharging against it'jets' of compressed air directed transversely of the said course of the cotton.

4. The herein described method of treating cotton and the like, which consists in conducting the cotton through a chamber or casing whose sides confine it against escape, and said cotton by discharging jets of air under pressurewhich consists in air under pressure,

jets of compressed air against it infsaid chamber or casing and transversely thereof. 5. The herein described method of treat ing cotton and the like, which consists in conducting along a given course cotton which is free to disperse, and dispersing said cotton by discharging against it jets of compressed air from opposite sides of said course in directions other than that in which the cotton is being conducted.

6. The herein described method of'treat: ing cotton and the like, which consists in conducting the cotton through a trunk by suction and dispersing it by discharging jets of compressed air into said trunk against the cotton in a direction other than that in.

which the cotton is being-conducted.

7. The hereindescribed process of treat ing cotton or the like, which consists in moving the cotton dispersing said cotton by a jet of air under pressure transversely of the direction ofmoa t-ion of the cotton.

8.- The hereindescribed process of cleaning cotton, which consists in passing the under pressure versely of the direction of its movement through said trunk.

9. The hereindescribed process of cleanmg cotton, which consists in passing the cotton through a trunk by suction and simultaneonsly subjecting it to oppositely di- I rected'jets of air under pressure engaging 'saidcotton transversely of the direction of its movement through said trunk.

. 10. The hereindescribed process of clean- 1ch consists in conthrough' a chamber or into said chamber or ing cotton or the like, wh ducting the cotton casing, introducing casing transverse jetsof air under pressure,-

arresting and condensing said cotton, and

again submitting it to the action of jets of air under pressure; 4 v o 4 v 11. The hereindescribed process of cleaning cotton or the like, which consists in passing the cotton through a, trunk'by suction, simultaneously subjecting 1t to ets of passing said cotton through a condenser onto an apron, and. subjecting iton said apron to transverse jets of air undentpressure. e

JOHN F. REARPON. Witnesses: j

- RUSSELL M.- Evnnnrr,

CoRnnLrUs ZaBRIsKmthrough a chamberor casing by air pressure and s'imult'aneonsl'y engaging said cotton trans- 

